Projectile



P 1952 B. F. SCHMIDT PROJECTILE Filed Aug. 11, 1948 Patented Sept. 30, 1952 OFFICIE. l

rRoJEcTILE V Benjamin F. Schmidt, Los Angeles, Calif- Application August 11, 1948, Serial No. 43,696

- 1 This invention relates to a bullet or projectile and particularly pertains to a projectile of the type designed for penetration of metallic walls set forth in my co-pending application forUnited State Letters Patent Serial Number 647,755, filed February 15, 1946, now abandoned.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a bullet or projectile which is especially applicable for use in effecting perforation of well casings by the gun perforating method having greater penetrating capacity than bullets or projectiles now generally used inwell casing perforating operations.

Another object is to provide an improvement insoft nosed projectiles said improvement primarily residing in forming the nose of the body of the projectile of contoured pyramidal form, that is with a series :of lateral faces 'of 'arcuate convex configuration diverging from the tip of the projectile and merging into the cylindrical body portion thereof instead of the conical formation of the nose of the'projectile body com monly employed thereby increasing the penetrating power of the projectile. v

A further object is to equip the. contoured pyramidal nos of the projectile body with a cap having its interior contoured to conform or nearly conform to the projectile nose and which cap is formed of a solid material that is considerably softer than the hard metal of which the pyramidal end of the projectile is formed,"whereby the cap will serve to prevent or at least minimize theformation of an objectionableburr around the entrance margin of the perforation formed in the well casing by passing of theprojectile therethrough, and will also serve as a lubricant for the projectile during its penetration of the well casing, and will co-operatewith-the pyramidal nose of the projectile bodyin insuring proper penetration of the well casing. With the'foregoing objects in view, together with such other objects and advantagesas may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts and'in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated by way of example inthe accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation ofthe projectile showing the pyramidal formation of the nose orpointed end thereof and showing it as unpped; a l i Fig. 2 is a view in front end projectile shown in Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a detail in cross section taken on the line 3-3 of'Fig. 1 as seen -in the direction indi cated by the arrows;

elevation of the 3 Claims. (Cl. 102-52) 2 s J 1 Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of theprojectileshown in Fig. 1 as fitted with a capj 1 Fig. 5 is a front end view of the capped projectile shown in Fig. 4; r v 'Fig. 6 is a detail in cross section taken on 'the line 6-6 of Fig. 4 as seen in the direction indi cated by the arrowsj Fig. 7 is a plan view of the cap shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 showing it as detached and as viewed in thedirection of the arrow 1 in Fig. 5;: j

Fig. 8 is a detail in cross sectiontaken on the line 8-8 of Fig.4, showing the manner of affixing the cap to the projectile body; j j Fig. 9 is a view in side elevation of a modified form of the projectile; h I

Fig. 10 is a View in front end elevation of the capped projectile shown in Fig. 9; f-

Fig; 11 is a diagram illustrating the manner of developing an arcuate transverse curvature on the lateral face of the pyramidal nose of the projectileyand Fig. 12 is a diagram depicting the manner of imparting a parabolic .cont'ourto the tip portion of the lateral face of the pyramidal nose of the projectile. j

Referring to the drawings more specifically A indicates generally the body of the projectile which body is cylindrical in form and B indicates a pointed nose on one end thereof. In carrying out'the invention the nose of the projectile 'is contoured to give it a pyramidal form, it being provided with a series of lateral faces here shown as three in number'and indicated at a, band 0. These faces diverge from the vertex do constituting the tip of theprojectile nose B and intersect the peripherial surface of the cylindrical body A; the margins of the inner ends of the faces a, b and 0 being curved as indicated at e, f .and g respectively. The longitudinal or lateraledges of the faces a, b and c are straight as viewed in plan; such an edge 71 being formed at the juncture and defining one side margin of each of the faces a and b, another such edge 2' extending along the juncture and defining one side margin of each of the faces b and c, and a third such edge 7' extending along the juncture and defining one side margin of each of the faces 0 and a. The edges h, i and diverge outwardly from the vertex or tip d and intersect the cylindrical surface of the body A at the juncture of the curved inner end margins e, f and g of the faces.

The lateral faces a, b and c are curved transversely, being formed with uniform arcuate transverse curvatures of convex configuration extending along the length thereof from their portion of the nose B formed therewith, the radii of the arcuate faces at any point in the length.

" thereof will be "greater tliaifthe'Ttidius of "the cylindrical body A.

The outer end portions of the lateral faces a, b

and c are curved both transversely'and" l'o'ngitudinally, being formed, from a transverse line It:

spaced inwardly a suitable distance from the tip d and defining the. outer end of the uniformly arcua'te portion o'fIt'he surfaces a, b and. c, (with arcuate contours of deereasingwid'ths and shorte'ning radii, thus imparting alongitudinalconvex parabolic contour leading from thelinek to the tip 'df with the later slightly rounded;

' The mode of developingv the convex contours of the lateral faces a, b and c is illustratedldi'agrammatically in'Figs. .11 and 12 'in'which Fig. 11 shows the manner. of forming the 'face with a transverse arcuate curvature by initially machiningflit in the form of an oblique segment I of a cylinder 111. so that the fa'c'e'will have a cylindrical contour from end to end and tapering rrom its inner end to nearly a point at itsoute'r end. After the lateralfaces a, b and c have thus beenform'ed the outer end portion of the nose B'lndie'ated by the dotted line n. in Fig. 12 is ground aw'ay as indicated by the -dotted line in Fig. 11 to give the tip end portionofthe nose B the desired longitudinal' and transverse curvatures.

The foregoing described contouringofitheno'se B of the projectile constitutes an importantfeature of the 'presentinvention, and while being subject to modification and to" some departure from the exact formation defined. without departing from the spirit of the. invention, it has been determined by tests that the describedizcontouring shown in the drawing imparts greater penetrating power to the projectile than that possessed by the 'conventiona lconoidal nosed type of projectile and also to a flat. faced pyramidal nosed bullet. I V

The pyramidal nose Bis formed oiffja hard metal capable of penetrating the'metal ofwhich awell casing is made'as is common in' projectiles of this'charaeter. g

'A cap C of solid relatively soft material such as lead, zinc, copper, aluminum, plastic-or the like is fitted to and sheaths-thepyramidal nose B of the projectile; the ca'p bei-ng contoured "on the interior thereof to conform or nearly eonform to the contours or; the nose and'havin'g an externally cylindrical 'i-nner endporti'on H the periphery "of which will extend 'flush'with the "periphery of the eylindrical body 1A off'the projectile when the cap is appliedthereto. "The marginof the-endportion I I" ofithecap Cis eontoured to conform to the curved ends" e, f and g of the faces ape-and c'as indicated atr, s' and t and is tapered along its inner face: to wafer thinness at its extreme edge to mergeint'o the surface of the body A. v 7

"As a means ffo'r attaching'the cap (.3 to "the projectile the latter isformedlwithspaced apart recesses at. the juncture of the 'baseof' thenpyramidal nose B with the cylindrical body A, which recesses extend in line circumferentially of the projectile at the juncture of the mediate portion only of the arcuate ends e, j and g of the faces a, b and c; the outermost portions of the marginal contours r, s and t, of the cap being inturned into said recesses forming tongues l3 which effect interlocking engagement with the forward "sidewalls of: the recesses 1-2 asl'sho'wn in Fig. 8- whereby the cap is held'in placeon'the projectile.

The external forward end portion of the cap C may be variously contoured but is preferably although not necessarily tapered with its end terminati'ngzinaathin walled tip x.

t In Figures 4,5, 6 and '7 the cap C is shown as having its forward end portion tapered and provided with flat facets u, v and w diverging from the tip a: of the cap, the facets being arranged to-overliethe curved lateral faces a, band 0 of the pyramidal end of the .projectile. Inl. Figures '9 and the cap 0 is shownas being ofgeneral 'conoidaiform. and as Zfitted and. fastened on. the

pyramidal 'no'se Blofthe projectile body. A in the manner previously described.

In the. operation of the invention when the projeetile'jis. forcibly. impelled nose foremost against aim'etallicfwall i'tov be penetrated thereby... the tip a; of theisoft. cap C onstrikingft'he "s'urfa'c'e fofthe-wall being ruptured by thefimpact and "renderedfiuid by. generated'hea-twhile the tip d o'f'the projectile noses. .passes the'rethrough and enters the surface 'of thefwall.

Continued .advance of the projectile causes the of .thejwalLiwill' 'clingto the surface. of the nose Bffa's .i't, advances and. .will thereby serve-as a lubiica'nt'for the projectile in passing through 'the;'wal1,.'while another portion of the thenidisplaoedflinaterial of, the-cap will have: accumulated on. thesurface of the metal being; penetrated by .the projectile. so. as toprevent or minimize the. ..'splash. oil the a surface metal occasioned I by 'impaet of; the projectile therewith, and'which splash. when it occurs, occasions the ;formation 1 offiobjectionable burrs on the inner margins of the perforations formed in the-Wall byzpenetrationnof. the projectile. s'uflicient-impetus: istgiven. the projectile 'it will pass completelythrough the 'walrwhichpf course is intended,.-leaving 'awcircula'r perforation in the. wall free-or at. leastnearlyflfree: 10f: burrs o'nthe. entrant endthereof.

Tests -;-have :Ip-roveni. that all conditions: being equal the. capped; pyramidal.- nosed" projectile herein set. forth will penetrate a considerably greater wall thickness than can be. efieeted' w'ith the. conventionai conicalifnosled projectile and those formed withnflatrfacesi While'rI have-shown and described specific embodiments of my invention I do not 1im'1t my-' self to the-exact details oifbonstruction set forth, and the invention embracessuch changes; 'nrodi ficationswand equivalents; of thexparts 'andtheir formation and arrangement 'as: COlilBi'Wfihil'l the purview of the appended claims. r I

For example, while the preferred transverse arcuate curvature of the contoured faces of the pyramidal nose has been specified as being 40 per cent greater than the arcuate curvature of the cylindrical body A, a considerable range of this differential may be employed, since this curvature may be of anywhere from that of the body member to at least 50 per cent greater and still afford superior penetrating power over the conventional conically nosed or flat faced bullet.

I claim:

1. A projectile having a cylindrical body, and a pyramidal nose on the forward end of said body having transversely curved lateral faces of convex configuration, said faces being formed with longitudinal parabolic curvatures on their outer end portions terminating in a rounded tip, there being circumferentially extending notches formed at the juncture of the cylindrical body and the pyramidal nose, a cap on said nose having its inner end margin conforming to the inner ends of the lateral faces on said nose, and lips on said margin extending into said notches.

2. A projectile comprising a cylindrical body formed with a pyramidial nose having convex lateral faces with inner end portions contoured to conform to the curved surface of an oblique section of a cylinder, said inner end portions having curved margins intersecting the surface of said cylindrical body, said lateral faces having converging transversely curved outer end portions formed with longitudinal parabolic contours terminating in a tip, circumferentially spaced notches formed in said cylindrical body at the juncture of the surface thereof with said curved margins, and a cap sheathing said pyramidal nose having an inner margin contoured'to conform to the curved margins of the inner end portions of the lateral faces, and lips on said contoured inner margin of said cap extending into said notches.

3. The structure called for in claim 2 in which the convex lateral faces of the pyramidal nose are formed with longitudinal convex edges defining adjacent of said lateral faces and leading from the tip of said nose into intersection with the curved inner margins of said faces.

BENJAMIN F. SCHMIDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,334 Palliser of 1863 313,075 Hopson Mar. 3, 1885 872,081 Piatkowski Nov. 26, 1907 1,172,278 Hadfield Feb. 22, 1916 

